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Welcome to todays diary entry! Only 5 nights left until we head out of this heaven! I don’t know whether it feels the same back home but it just feels as though it is absolutely flying and already our weekends back in the UK are getting filled up with holidays and weekends away. The most challenging part is going to be to try and divvy up the time equally so we can spend as much time in Scotland as possible and maybe even try and squeeze in an NC500 at some point as well if we can. That is quite challenging as it is sometimes hard enough to see family when they are around the corner let along 300 miles north. Trying to find a time when everyone is together at the same time is always so hard as everyone is always so busy with work and their own life.
We both have mentioned that we feel in a bit of a state of limbo because everything your doing now is focussed on and for the purposes of heading to the desert but we ‘stuck’ (and i use that word loosely) here until we leave on Friday. We are just trying to chalk off 1 by 1 things that we need to get done before we go. It is also trying to work out in what order we are going to get things done on Thursday and Friday. Or whether we just do it all on the Friday morning and set off earlier to go to Uni Prix, Marjane and Souk El Had. I want to go to the Uni Prix to stock up on Corelli, Marjane to stock up on food and just cupboardy bits like pasta and sauce, jars of pasta sauce etc the things that perhaps you may not be able to get everywhere. Things like chicken, pasta and bread you can literally get anywhere but i want to do a big big shop of all the things that tie meals together. Finally, to the Souk to pick up some real life genuine fake clothes to see me through spring, summer and autumn.
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We have roughly 5 or 6 stops before the desert stops and i believe we will be able to get meals in a lot of meals at the stops where we are headed up to so we will mainly be getting ambient stuff. Another thing we will be getting absolutely plenty of will be milk, not because you cannot get because this child of ours can drink some amount of milk. It is like nothing i have ever seen before, simply astonishing how much milk he drinks, He is an animal.
As we have done for the last few days just highlighting some of the places on our stop in order, yesterday we talked about Ouazazate and today the next stop will be Zagora: a name that evokes visions of endless desert skies and tales of caravans that vanish into the horizon. This Moroccan gem, nestled in the Draa Valley, is less a city and more a gateway to adventure, a starting point for those looking to trace the ancient routes of traders and explorers into the heart of the Sahara.
First up, let’s talk about the sign that’s made Zagora famous: “Tombouctou 52 jours”. That’s right, once upon a time, if you fancied a stroll to Timbuktu, you’d be looking at a brisk 52-day trek through the desert. This sign isn’t just a quirky photo op; it’s a nod to Zagora’s historical significance as a pivotal point on the Saharan trade routes. Camels laden with goods like gold, salt, and spices would have started their epic journeys from here.
But it’s not all about ancient history. Zagora is a vibrant, bustling town, with markets that burst into life selling everything from fresh dates (a local specialty) to intricately woven Berber rugs. The town itself is surrounded by a landscape that’s both harsh and hauntingly beautiful, with palm groves offering a lush contrast to the stony desert.
Venturing out from Zagora, you’re quickly enveloped by the desert. The real magic starts when you embark on a camel trek into the dunes, especially as the sun begins to set, casting a golden glow over the sands. The night skies here are something else entirely, a blanket of stars so vivid it feels like you could reach out and touch them.
And then there’s the Draa Valley, stretching away to the north, a lifeline in this arid region. It’s a stunning drive, with ancient kasbahs dotting the landscape and palm oases that emerge like mirages from the desert. This valley tells the story of human resilience, of thriving in an environment that offers little leeway.
Zagora is more than just a destination; it’s an experience. It’s the warmth of the desert sun on your face, the taste of sweet dates, and the silence of the Sahara at night, broken only by the whisper of the wind. For the intrepid traveller, it offers a taste of the desert life, a glimpse into a world where time moves at the pace of a camel’s stride. Whether you’re passing through on your way to the dunes or soaking up the history and culture, Zagora is a testament to the allure of the Moroccan desert.
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